Merry Christmas Everyone!!

Hey Ya'll,

Just a quick post to say Merry Christmas to all, and I hope that the New Year brings you everything that you want and more!!

Yesterday Walt and I drove to his Mom's house to pick her up.  She decided that she didn't feel like cooking this year, and didn't want to decorate her house, so she preferred to go out to eat.  So we drove her to the Restaurant of her choice, and of course, they weren't serving Turkey until today....So after trying another Restaurant that wasn't serving Turkey until today, we decided to drive into Carson City.  The nearest City to where she lives where we were sure that the Fandango Casino's Buffet would have Turkey, among many other choices.

We were right!  The only problem was that this would be my first outing in a Restaurant setting since my Surgery, and....it was a Buffet!!  First off, we thought that we would have to argue to get me a lower price, like for Senior Citizen, or a Child's rate since I can't eat more than a few bites.  But I showed them my Card that I received regarding my Gastric Bypass Surgery, and they gave me a Child's rate!!

Now the real test was whether I could actually control myself, and only eat a small amount.  And only eat what I should eat.  Well, I did rather well!  I had two small spoons of Mashed Potatoes, and a spoon of Cottage Cheese with a small amount of Peach cut up into tiny pieces.  I also had a couple of small bites of a chewy, easily swallowed sugar free Cookie, and a few bites of sugar free Jello.  Oh and one small bite of sugar free Cheesecake.  And this was over about 2 hours, so that wasn't too bad....And yes, that was all that I ate all day yesterday!

This was one night before I was supposed to start my Smooth Diet phase, but I figured that it would be ok.  Today officially starts my Smooth Diet for the next week, then I move into Stage 4 and Soft Foods for weeks 3-4.  This time I don't plan on trying to eat what I shouldn't eat too soon (except for last night!!).

Well, I better go for now.  Till next time....

Aloha My Friends, and
Merry Christmas!!

Surgery Completed...Check! Home...Check!

Hey Ya'll,

Well, I am home now.  In fact I got home Friday, but I had so much mail to go through, that I spent a good part of it sorting the mail, etc.  Then, my friend Kelly from New England called me, and we talked for an hour!  Poor thing, they have been sick with the flu for about a month!  She also said that they are estimating that about 1/2 of New Hampshire is sick with the flu right now!!  She said that the flu shots they got didn't have the resistance to this variation of the flu....And then yesterday, I was busy getting our Bills sorted out and ready to pay.  Walt likes to have the monthly expenses prepared for him to go over.

Anyway, my Surgery story for those that are still interested....I checked into the Hospital at 6 am Tuesday morning, and was taken back within a few minutes to start getting me prepped for Surgery.  Luckily, they allowed one visitor to be with me, so Walt got to stay with me until they took me back into Surgery.  Since Walt wasn't going to be able to eat until I was in Surgery (as he wouldn't leave me), we stopped at the best donut shop in Reno for him on the way in.  He ate them inside though, (while I waited in the car) so that I wouldn't be tempted by them.

My Surgery lasted somewhere between 2 1/2-3 hrs.  But the Surgeon told Walt that it went really well.  I was taken to my "Private" room before I was even awake from Anesthesia.  I have never been taken out of Recovery before I was even awake enough to ask for ice chips!  But at least I was in my own room.  And of course, by then, I was awake enough to complain of pain and the need for ice chips.  Which they gave me after getting permission from the Surgeon.

So I sucked on ice chips for the next 20 hours or so.  Luckily, I love ice chips!  I tried to sleep, but it is hard when your in pain, and you have a guest in the room with you.  At least I always feel bad if I sleep while someone is just sitting there watching me....As before in prior Surgeries, I didn't have any gas pains.  In fact, my Abdomen didn't even bother me.  It was tender of course, but the only pain that I had was in my Back!!  I have a bad Spine, and a weak Back, so when I have Surgery, it is my Back that seems to hurt.  Walt figures that it was probably real tight from the stress of Surgery.  So it hurt like hell until Wednesday morning.  When suddenly it stopped hurting.  During the night, I was a good girl and walked practically the length of the Hospital and back to my room 4 times.  Which helped my Back.  At least when I was up and walking, it didn't hurt me.

And as usual, I didn't get much sleep either.  I did get a few hours, but not consecutively.  At least not until about 3 am, when I had the Nurses close my door.  That really helped a lot.  We kept it closed from then on, until I was released.  Because I was doing so well on Wednesday, Walt asked the Surgeon to release me.  We told him that we were staying in Reno at the Hotel another night just in case.  So he said that if I was able to eat breakfast, lunch and a dinner of Full Liquids, and not have any problems with nausea, etc, that he would probably let me go.

Well, I did great, no problem "eating" the liquids.  So I was released at 5:30 pm.  The problem was that I had forgot to bring my RX with me that the Surgeon gave me to take once I am released from the Hospital.  And we didn't tell the Surgeon this....We did tell the Nurse though, and tried to get her to give me a dose of the medicine to take with us to the Hotel, so that I would have at least one dose during the night.  But of course, she couldn't, and it is a controlled substance.  So she gave me a dose of it as I left the Hospital.  But since I was doing so well, I figured that I could make it until the next morning when we would drive home, and I could take my meds again.

Wrong!!!!  At 12:20 am (Wednesday night/Thursday morning), I woke up needing to go to the bathroom.  I felt chilled when I got up, and I had major Abdominal pain.  Once I was back in bed, I covered up trying to get warm, and within minutes, I felt like I was running a high fever.  I felt like I could set the sheets on fire just by laying on them.  So I woke Walt up, and had him check my Abdomen to make sure that my Incisions weren't looking infected, which they weren't.  In fact, they have never even turned black and blue!  If my Stomach wasn't bloated out, with the bandages on, you wouldn't even know it to look at my Stomach that I had had Abdominal Surgery.

Walt called down to the front desk to see if they had a thermometer so we could find out what my temperature was.  But they didn't have one, and offered to call an Ambulance for us, which Walt turned down.  But I was in so much pain, that I was crying uncontrollably by now (and I have a high tolerance for pain), so he asked me if I wanted to go to the ER.  I said yes, anything to stop this pain.

I didn't even feel up to putting on my cloths.  I went in my PJ's with my coat over them and a hat on my head.  It was only about 11 degrees outside, but I didn't even want to wear my coat, or have the heater on in the car.  I walked into the ER with my coat practically opened up.  Once inside, we found out that we were really lucky, and we were the only ones in the ER!  So I got signed in immediately.  I immediately took my coat and hat off, I didn't care what I looked like!  Then I was taken back.

When I told them that I had had the Bypass only the day before, they wanted to make sure that everything was ok in my Abdominal area.  But the first thing that they wanted to do of course, was to get my pain under control.  So they put in an IV, and gave me a really good drug that worked really fast.  The ER Doctor said that it was stronger than Morphine.  Well it worked....then they took 2 different samples of Blood.  One from each Forearm, which they said they wouldn't have the results back on for probably 24-48 hours.  Plus another Blood Test on top of these.  Then I had to drink a full cup of some Citrus tasting stuff before I could have the CT Scan done, which took me about an hour to drink.  But I was lucky, they said that usually they make a person drink 3 full containers of the stuff.  And then of course the CT Scan was done with Contrast.

Oh, I forgot to mention that when they took my temperature, it was....98.6!  So they figured that my feeling so hot was due to the extreme pain.  They could tell that I wasn't lying, because they could feel the heat in my skin, and see the super flush in my Face.  So of course, the CT Scan came back normal.  The only thing that was a bit out of whack, was my Liver, but I don't remember what she said about it.  So she was going to admit me to the Hospital to continue with the pain meds and watch me.  But she talked with another Doctor that had more experience with Gastric Bypass patients, and he said that this is not uncommon.  He said that it would be safe to let me go back to the Hotel.

So she gave me a new RX for pain meds, which Walt was able to fill at a Walgreen's on the way back to the Hotel.  It was 5 am by the time we made it back to the Hotel, and we both just crashed!  We decided to stay another night just to be safe after this though, so we didn't get home until Friday.  I of course felt fine by then.  I am now only taking the drugs at night.  The ER Doctor told me that my regular Surgeon will probably keep a check on my Liver to make sure that it does go back to normal though.

So I am doing fine.  My big revelation to those going into Gastric Bypass Surgery....DON'T FORGET YOUR MEDS AT HOME!!  My next appointment with the Surgeon is on January 2nd, and I can't wait to find out if I have lost any weight, and if so, how much!

Tomorrow, Walt and I are taking his Mom out to an early Christmas Eve Dinner.  She lives close to us, so we are spending it with her.  Walt's Dad died 3 years ago, and she still has trouble this time of year.  And although I feel like I could probably make it into California now.  The Sierra's are having a major Snow Storm so we might have trouble getting over anyway.  So we are going to miss Christmas with my family this year.  Tomorrow, I will only be one day away from Stage 3 Smooth Foods, so I am fairly sure that I can handle a little bit of Mashed Potatoes, or Refried Beans, etc. for Dinner.  Depending on what kind of Restaurant we go to.  I'll let you know how it went later.

Till next time....

Aloha My Friends,  
And Mele Kalikimaka, 

Which Means Merry Christmas In Hawaiian

The Day Before Surgery....

Hey Ya'll,

Well, we arrived in Reno with no problems, and I am now enthroned, or shall we say enslaved in the bathroom on the John for the next several hours or so!  That Magnesium Citrate drink is NASTY, but tolerable!!  If I never have to drink it again, I won't be sad, and I will be thrilled to death!  You would think that after all these years, that they could make it taste better.

So tomorrow I will be getting up at about 4 am in order to shower and be dressed early.  We need to leave the Hotel at about 5 am or so.  Walt wants to stop at the Doughboys Donut shop near the Hospital.  It is the BEST Donut Shop EVER!!  Luckily for us, they open at 5 am.  Walt is one of those people that can't go without eating or he will develop a horrible Headache.  So we will stop and get him a few donuts to hold him over until I go into Surgery.  At that time, he can go and get himself some Breakfast.  Of course, I am not looking forward to smelling the delicious donuts!!  As by then, I will not have eaten anything solid in about 60 hours! Ugh!! :(

I will be checking into the Hospital by 6 am, and my Surgery is supposed to start at 7:30 am.  I just hope that I get a good Nurse and she doesn't have any troubles getting my IV in!  When I had my Spinal Surgery in March, the Nurse got the IV in great with no problems.  Unfortunately, I had to have it redone by that evening.  And they almost had to redo it again the next day....I don't know why, but for some reason, IV's don't like me.  So keep your fingers crossed that this time I only have to have one placed.  And I have heard the horror stories about nausea after the Surgery for Bypass.  I am ever hopeful that I won't have to endure it as well.

Well, I better go for now, I need to get to bed.  Now whether I can actually get any sleep is another thing.  But I can at least try.  As before, I ask that you keep me in your thoughts tomorrow morning.  Till next time....

Aloha My Friends :)

 

Oops...I Forgot...I'm Sorry!!

Hey Ya'll,

It's now 2 days and counting!
 

Well, yesterday my Post title said that I passed my Pre-Op Appointment....But I forgot to tell you what happened!  I went in praying that I was at least CLOSE to my 210 lb mark.  And I weighed 210.8!!  My Surgeon was pleased with my progress....Thank god!!  So I was thrilled that I passed!  Today I have been totally on liquids.  Not happy about it though.  Tomorrow we leave for Reno to stay the night.  Once there and checked into the Hotel, I will have to drink my Bowel Prep....and spend the rest of the day on the John!

Today I took a really long shower and shaved, so that I don't embarrass myself at the Hospital.  I'm one of those women who always wears pants, and since I always wear long pants in the Winter, I usually don't shave until Spring....But there is no way in Hell, that I am going into Surgery with Ape Legs! LOL  Then I spent the rest of the day either thinking (worrying) about the upcoming Surgery, or getting our bag packed, and trying to tie up all loose ends.

I'm afraid that I don't have too much else to say right now, I am just kind of in a fog.  I am hoping to be able to post again tomorrow at the Hotel, but I may not be able to, so if not, please be thinking of me on Tuesday morning!  So till next time....

Aloha My Friends :)

Pre-Op Appt Done-Check!!

Hey Ya'll,

Well it is now 3 days from Surgery....
 

The days seem to be going faster with every passing day.  I have so much to do, yet I find that I have less and less time to do it in.  I am terrified, yet at the same time excited for this change coming to my life.  And under all of it, is the dread of losing my parents soon.  Because I am having the Surgery just a week before Christmas, we knew that I would not be up to traveling over the Sierra's to visit with our family in California for Christmas.  Which is why we made sure to be there for Thanksgiving.  We also gave our Christmas gifts to them while there.

So...this means that we are done for Christmas!  No more gifts to buy....which takes a load off of my mind.  We are supposed to spend Christmas with Walt's mom this year, but I am now thinking that I may not go.  It would be a 30-45 minute drive each way, and I will only be a week out of Surgery.  But the biggest concern for me is that they will be eating FOOD, while I won't be able to.  And her furniture isn't the most comfortable to sit on either.  Not to mention the damn dog that barks constantly, and tries to bite you if you even look at my mother in law!!  But I will wait and see how I feel at that time before I make a decision.  I know that Walt would like for me to go with him.

Today I did our laundry again (10 loads).  This way, we should be able to wait until I am able do it again after Surgery.  We can go 2 weeks before we absolutely have to do the laundry.  So I am hoping that by then, with Walt's help, I can do the laundry again.  If not, he knows how to do it.

Tomorrow I will be packing to go to Reno for the Surgery and trying to tie up loose ends.  And eating absolutely nothing!  I was supposed to be on a total liquid diet starting today, but I did eat.  I didn't think that I could do all the work today on nothing but liquid.  But I will be good tomorrow and go totally liquid if it kills me!!  LOL  Other than that, I have been watching a lot of Christmas movies....and bawling my eyes out!

But I need to go to bed early, for some reason, I have been really tired the last couple of days.  And I find that I fall asleep in my chair!  So I will end this for now, till next time....

Aloha My Friends :)

 

I'm Nervous About Tomorrow!!

Hey Ya'll,

Well, today Walt begged me to go with him to Reno.  Well....maybe not exactly begged me....But he said that I didn't have a choice!! LOL  He had an appointment with an Ear, Nose & Throat specialist.  He had received the news after his Sleep Study that he needs to sleep with a Bi Pap Machine like me.  But he is hoping to be able to avoid sleeping with a Machine....So he wanted to be seen by the specialist in hopes that she would recommend Surgery as an alternative.  But she told him that Surgery really wouldn't help him.

So, his next alternative is to have a Mouth piece made for him.  It would force his Tongue forward and out of the way of the back of his Throat, hopefully keeping him from snoring and waking himself up.  Of course, there is no guarantee that it will work.  And if not, then his only choice will be to either use the damn Machine, or continue on the way he has been.  Which is not an option, as he hasn't had a good nights sleep in a long time!  So....Walt, if you are reading this, and I know that you will eventually, deal with it!! LOL

 
So, as of tomorrow, I only 5 days to Surgery....And my Pre-Op appointment with my Surgeon, Dr Kozar is tomorrow.  And, the appointment is for 8:15 am!!  Which means that I have to leave our place no later than 7 am to be there on time!  And....we are supposed to get snow tonight, and the overnight temps are supposed to get down to about 19 degrees, and will stay there until I leave.  So I am hoping to not have any problems with Icing!  Also, the temps are supposed to stay cold, and not warm up until after I get back.  It is not even supposed to get into the low 30's until about noon....So please cross your fingers and wish me luck that I don't have any problems driving.

Now, the reason that I am nervous about tomorrow, is because of my weight.  I was supposed to lose 10 lbs by Surgery.  Which I still have 5 days to do it in.  But of course, the Surgeon is hoping that I will have lost it by my Pre-Op appointment in the morning.  At the Pre-Op Class that Walt and I attended on Tuesday, according to their scale, I weighed 218 lbs.  Well, I had gained back up to 228.8 lbs after I had last seen the Surgeon.  And at that appointment, I weighed 220 lbs.  So they are looking at it like I have only lost 2 lbs!!  When in actuality, I had lost about 10 lbs.  However, as of this morning, I was down to 210 lbs on our scale.  So even if I add 3 lbs, I should be much closer to the 210 lb mark.  And I still have 5 days!  I am just concerned that the Surgeon will give me a tongue lashing....

I was doing so well yesterday, and then today....going into Reno with Walt, of course he couldn't go without eating, and there is just no way that I could sit and watch him eat and not eat myself.  Which is why I didn't want to go with him, I knew that I didn't have the strength to not cave in at this point.  So we ate at Chili's Restaurant.  I should have had a salad, and I wished that I had had the strength to order it.  But I had an order of the Classic Nachos without the Sour Cream.  They were good too!

So I came home and took a Water Pill, which I need anyway as I retain water so badly.  I figure that it would be better to not go into Surgery with a lot of excess fluid retention as far as Circulation goes, etc.  I usually lose at least 2-5 lbs in a day when I take one.  And I don't intend to eat or drink anything tomorrow morning before my appointment!!  So hopefully I will weight close to 210 at their office.... :)  I will let you know.  In fact, I will weight myself on our scale fully dressed but without my shoes as I would there, just before I leave, so I can see how far off our scale is to theirs.  It will then give me a way to keep a more accurate reading of my true weight!  As I said, I will let you know!!

Anyway, after lunch we went to a place in Reno that installs aftermarket stuff on vehicles.  We ordered some Running Boards for my car, as I have a little trouble getting into the car.  And Walt is concerned that in a few more years as I get older, it would be much harder for me to get in and out.  So the Running Boards will help me out in the long run very well.  He is going to have them installed on Wednesday of next week (the morning after my Surgery).  We won't know if I will still be in the Hospital that night, or if I will be staying over a second night.  But just in case, we have the Hotel room through Thursday morning.  So we can stay overnight if need be, even if I am released.

So, because I need to get up so early....I will be going to bed early tonight, and I pray that I will actually be able to get to sleep!!  Even with Sleeping Pills, I don't always go to sleep when I want to.  Oh well, I will be getting plenty of sleep after the Surgery!  So for now I will just close and say....Till next time....

Aloha My Friends!  :)

  

Sad News For The Family :(

Hey Ya'll,

First off, I will be discussing my Ticker Tape above a bit later in the post.  But right now, I want to say that our Family lost a truly great man last night.  My Uncle Clyde.  He was one of those men who could do just about anything.  He retired from Sunkist many years ago, but while he was still active with the Company, he got to travel around the world in his work.  Away from work, he was a great Carpenter, he worked with rough Stones and made beautiful Jewelry out of them, and he could repair just about anything!

He did so much for everyone in the family, never asking for payment, and we all loved him.  He will be greatly missed.  Please send your thoughts and prayers to my Aunt Betty.  She is in poor health herself, and could use the added prayers.  She had a great 49 year Marriage, and she is grieving for him now.  She will miss him the rest of her life.

My daughter brought up something to me last night in an email about my Dad.  As you know, he has Lung Cancer, and I fear that it has spread to the Bones as well.  Well, my Grandfather passed away on December 27,  2001, and my Dad has never been the same since.  We know that my Dad doesn't have long to live, and Christa fears that he may be holding out until the Anniversary of my Grand Father's passing, to pass himself.  I just heard from my Sister Sheryl, and she said that my Dad told her Husband Isaac today, that he wishes that they would just cut his Arm off!  This is not a way to live, when all you want to do is have parts of your body amputated, or to die.  So please, give some prayers for my Dad too, as he can really use them.

It's now 8 days and counting till Surgery!!
 

Now!  As for my Ticker Tape above.....for some reason, I can't get it to allow me to change my Weight.  It takes me to the screen where I can make a new Tape.  But even when I just try to remake it, it goes from starting a Weight Loss Tape, to a Maternity Tape, and it just goes in a loop!  So I will try it later.  But for now, I will give you my current information in my post.

I started out at 228.8 lbs.  I lost down to 215.2 lbs which was a loss of 13.6.  Then I gained back up to 216.4 lbs, a gain of 1.2 lbs.  But now I have lost back down to 214.6 lbs, which is a total loss of 14.2 lbs so far.  I still need to lose about 5 lbs before Surgery which is a week from tomorrow!!  But I know that I can do it.  I have a week to do it in, and the last 3 days of the Diet will be total liquids....and the day before Surgery I will be taking the Bowel Prep, which should cleanse me out, and lose some more lbs there too!!

Maybe I will start a sidebar spot showing my weight loss to date as well, so when the Ticker Tape doesn't want to cooperate, I can at least keep you posted on my progress.  In fact, after I post this, I will produce one, so be looking for it!

Well, now I need to go, as I have some more data entry to get done for our Taxes.  I am almost finished, and I believe that I will get them caught up by the time I go in for Surgery.  Then we just have to wait to get all the end of the year documents in, in order to send them off to our CPA.  So, till next time....

Aloha My Friends :)

11 Days....And Counting!!

Hey Ya'll,

Well, I have been a bad....girl!!  I was supposed to be on a Pre-Op Diet since Thanksgiving.  And I was doing ok with it.  I had lost about 13.6 lbs, with only about 5-8 lbs to go.  But Walt and I have been eating out the last couple of days....

I wanted to see Breaking Dawn: Part II.  I wanted to see it after the Thanksgiving Holiday when it was newly released, and there would be tons of teenagers there.  But I also wanted to see it before it left the Theaters, and before I went in for Surgery.  I would have gone by myself.  I used to work in Theaters, and I got used to watching movies by myself on my breaks.  Prior to working in the Theater, I never would have gone to a movie alone!  But Walt wanted to go with me.  So we went on Wednesday after Walt got off work (early, for a matinee) and saw it together, and it was great.  We were one of only three couples in the whole Theater!  So we were able to sit all by ourselves, and it felt like we had the whole Theater to ourselves! 

Now I was a really good girl at the movie, Walt did offer to buy me popcorn or whatever I wanted, but I told him that I would rather have Dinner instead!  So after the movie, we went to the Olive Garden and shared their current special, 2 for $25.  It was great, not the Spaghetti and Meatballs that I usually get, but the Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo was good too!

Unfortunately, I didn't stop there, yesterday after our appointments in Reno, we went to the Texas Roadhouse, which is a Steakhouse, for an early dinner.  I had the BBQ Pulled Pork and BBQ Chicken combo Dinner....yum!!  But not very conducive to Diets!!  And now that I only have 11 days until Surgery, I really need to buckle down and start my Liquid Diet!

Eleven Days And Counting!!

 

As for yesterday, Walt and I both had appointments in Reno.  He had to go in for 2 more Epidural Injections in the lower Spine, and I had to go in to Pre Register at the Hospital as well as have an EKG, a Chest X-Ray, and my Blood Work taken.  So now all I have to do is go to the Pre-Op Class on Tuesday, and see my Surgeon next Friday (and of course....DIET!!).  So because Walt had the Injections, he wasn't allowed to drive, so I drove us there and back.  And....because he didn't have to drive, he had 3 Drinks with Dinner!!

And I am still trying to get our Taxes pulled together, before I go in for Surgery.  But all I can do is do my best!  So now I have to really buckle down and drink, drink, drink, and work my fingers to the bone!!  LOL  So....till next time....

Aloha My Friends!  :)

I'm Not Happy About This!! But....

Hey Ya'll,
 
Surgery day is 14 days and counting!

Well, I have been busy lately.  What with getting ready for Surgery and all.  My Surgery is now only 14 days away....And I fought really hard to get approval to get pills in order to do my Bowel prep for Surgery....But the Surgeon insists that I drink the nauseating Magnesium Citrate!

I have had to drink this horrible "crap" before, and I know through experience that I can't stomach it!  I have a horrible gag reflex when it comes to drinking vile stuff!  But he insists that I drink it....The last time I had to drink it, it was for a Colonoscopy.  I even tried to make it taste more agreeable by adding it to Kool-Aid, but it didn't work....So I am going to suck it up, and drink it if it kills me!!!  LOL  (Which is entirely possible!)

And Walt decided that although we don't live too far from Reno, it would be stupid for him to have to drive back and forth for 2-3 days.  He won't physically go into work while I am in the Hospital anyway (he will work online via computer), and since I will definitely be in the Hospital at least 1 night, we decided that it makes sense for him to stay close to the Hospital in a Hotel.  It would save a lot of gas going back and forth as well.

We also felt that since I have to check in to the Hospital so friggin early in the morning, that we would stay in the Hotel the night before as well.  I think that I must be either the 1st or 2nd Surgery of the day.  Part of the problem I have though, is that I am supposed to start drinking that vile "stuff" at noon the day before Surgery.  But we won't be able to check into the Hotel until at least 1 pm.  But that's ok, I will just have to deal with it, and live in the Bathroom the rest of the day!!  Hey, maybe I can finish the book that I am reading..... 

And I also found out today that the Surgeon has changed my Pre-Op Diet.

I think that this is because I have informed him that I have problems drinking this "stuff", and I may not be able to get it all down.  So the Surgeon has changed my Diet.  Instead of being on Liquids the last 2 weeks before Surgery with some veggies added, I have to be on total Liquids the last 3 days leading up to Surgery!!  My guess is that with all the fluids I will be drinking with no solids, he is hoping that the fluids will flush out my Colon/Intestines for the most part, and then however much of that "stuff" that I can get down me will flush out the rest!!  LOL

Now as of the book that I am reading....I have listed in my sidebar that I am currently reading An Echo In The Bone, by Diana Gabaldon.  But since the new Twilight movie just came out, I decided that I wanted to reread the 4th book in the series before watching it.  But I will go back to the Diana Gabaldon book as soon as I finish reading Breaking Dawn.  And I am so lucky to have someone like Walt.  He knows that I don't mind going to the movie by myself, but he wants to go with me anyway.  Even though he doesn't particularly like the Twilight movies!  So we have made a date to see the movie on Wednesday after he gets off work.

This Thursday, we will be in Reno again....Walt is having another Epidural Injection, and I am scheduled to Pre-Register at the Hospital, as well as getting my Pre-Op Testing done.  Then next Tuesday, we go in for my last Pre-Op Class where they will go over the Surgery and Post Op Diet in more depth.  And I don't know why (but I am guessing that it is so that they know what our new lifestyle will be like, so they can try to keep us on the straight and narrow), but they want our significant other to go to the class with us.

So poor Walt has to miss work again, as the class starts at 8 am and doesn't end until noon.  And since we don't get into Reno all that often, we will probably shop while there for things that we can't get where we live.  Then Friday of next week, I go in for my final Pre-Op appointment with the Surgeon, so that he can see that I have lost the weight that he required....And then of course, 2 weeks from today, I go in for Surgery!!

And on top of all this, I need to do my very best to get our taxes pulled together before Surgery day!!  Wish me luck!  Till next time....

Aloha My Friends  :)

20 Days And Counting!

This was our actual Christmas Tree a few years ago.  I loved our Tree!

Hey Ya'll,

Well, I survived another early morning wake up today.  Not to mention that I had to drive into Reno to get my car serviced in the pouring rain and high winds!!  LOL  But it is done, and now I don't have to worry about it until sometime next year....But again, I had a horrible nights sleep!  I still woke up or was up a good part of the night with pain in my Head.  I guess I should tell my Neurosurgeon just in case there could be something wrong.  But I am fairly sure that my Neck is just too tense, causing spasms of pain in my Head!

Oh, and I forgot to say that I have my Back Brace....it is not comfortable to wear at all.  It kind of helps with my lower Back pain, at least for a while.  But I find that it actually makes the pain in my Hips worse!  On Thanksgiving night, after we left my parents house, my brother, Walt and I talked for close to an hour at our cars.  I was in pain the whole time, but I was able to stand there (constantly shifting my position, and keeping my Legs spread to support my weight).  But at the 1 hour point, all of a sudden, pain shot through my left Hip and into my left Thigh, causing me to grab for Walt to steady me.  At that point, we decided we all needed to leave.  And once I was sitting in the car, the balls of both Feet were numb and had pins and needles pain in them.  Which is a new symptom.  For which I will tell my Neurosurgeons office when I see them in January.

I did get my new Calendar today.  It is called Out On The Porch.  I love this Calendar as it makes me want to sit on one of those rocking chairs in the shade of a beautiful porch watching the day pass, reading a great book.  Ahh....Well I can dream can't I???  LOL

Then I went and had my Nails removed.  I loved them, but I have decided that they are not worth the cost.  Not to mention the condition they left my natural nails.  So now I will have to wait for them to grow back out and get healthy.

20 Days And Counting!!

So as of today, I have lost a total of 11 lbs from my all time high this time around.  I started at a high of 228.8 (220.0 as far as the Surgeon knows), and I am supposed to get down to 210.  I still need to lose at least another 8 lbs in the next 20 days....But I haven't yet started the full on liquid diet.  It will begin in a few days, and then of course, there is the Colon Cleansing I have to do the day before Surgery!  I should lose at least a pound if not two with it....right???  But of course, I am not going to count on that to get me to my weight loss goal before Surgery.

Just In Case....I was only supposed to lose 10 lbs, but since I had gained almost 9 lbs after my consult with the Surgeon, that meant that I needed to lose at least 18 lbs to be where he expects me to be on Surgery day.  So....another 7-10 lbs will be enough to placate him.  I just hope that I can do it!!  This time around, I am finding that my will power is way below what it was back in 2009 when I had to do the same Diet for the Lap Band.  Hunger wise I am doing fine, but it is still hard not to eat more than I am supposed to!  Let's face it, if I had the will power to do this long term, I wouldn't need the Surgery!

Oh well, all I can do is try my best!  Now I have to dig in and do my best to get our taxes pulled together before my Surgery!!  I am so disorganized, that I am afraid that I won't have them done in time.  But I promise Walt, that I will try!!  I <3 nbsp="nbsp" next="next" p="p" so="so" till="till" time....="time...." you="you">
Aloha My Friends :)

And The Doctor Said....

Hey Ya'll,

Well, this past weekend, Walt said that I still sounded like I had Bronchitis and that I should try to get back in to the Doctor on Monday (yesterday).  Well, I wasn't able to get in to her yesterday, but I did get in today!  She said that my Lungs sounded clear, which is a good thing.  But apparently I still have Sinusitis!  She took one look at the back of my Throat and said, yes....it is still full of yellow mucous.  UGH  So I guess that I still have a Bacterial Infection in my Sinuses??

Anyway, since I am out of my Antibiotics, she gave me a new Antibiotic to try.  She said that it is an even stronger Antibiotic than the first one I was taking.  And lucky me, she actually had them in samples.  So she gave me another 10 days worth of Antibiotics.  She said that if I don't sound much better by next Monday, to call her and she would setup an appointment for a Scan of my Sinuses to see exactly what is going on!!  And I am supposed to be in Surgery 3 weeks from TODAY!!  So if this round of Antibiotics doesn't do the trick, we may be forced to postpone the Surgery....So please, think good thoughts for me that this time it works!!  PLEASE!





*****CORRECTION*****
Oh, and did I mention that it is (28 oops) 21 days and counting until my Surgery??

So this means that I had to get up at 7 am....to be at the Doctor by 9:15 am today.  And now I have to get up at 8 am tomorrow, in order to get my car to the Dealership to have the Oil Changed, Tires Rotated, etc.  I expect to be there most of the day.  So of course, I am taking my Kindle with me to read.  Now I just have to hope that I can read and not fall asleep!!

I hate to fall asleep in front of people....because I snore!!  Horribly!  I wake myself up snoring, horribly!!  LOL  I also need to stop and buy me a new 2013 Calendar too!  We already have at least 5 Doctor appointments setup for January, and I am running out of space on the borders of December to write them in!!  And since we don't have a Book Store near us with a great selection of Calendars, I have to go to the only Book store left in Reno, while I am there.  And yes, I have looked at the stores available to us for Calendars, but they don't have any of the ones that I like.  And if I have to look at it for a year, I want it to be something I love!

Hey, I just found out that Melissa Rycroft won Dancing With The Stars All Star Show.  Go Melissa!!  I thought she did great the season that she competed on, especially since she went in with practically no time to practice!  So winning it this time, shows that she was definitely in it to win it!!  Well, I better go for now, I need to start getting ready to go to bed.  Last night I had so much pain in my Head that I slept horribly.  And it wasn't a Headache per say...But Pain In The Head...and it moved from area to area, and at times it practically covered the whole Head!  So I just hope that I can sleep tonight without pain.  Wish me luck!

Aloha My Friends :)

My Pre-Op Diet Starts Tomorrow!

Hey Ya'll,

Well, I had my Thanksgiving Dinner, and I have had leftovers for the past 2 days, so tomorrow I start my Pre-Op Diet....It is supposed to be a 4 week diet, but I will only be on it for 3 weeks and 2 days.  I am supposed to lose 10 lbs, but that was based on what I weighed at my initial Surgeon Consult way back on Sept 12th.  I had since then actually gained 8.8 lbs.  So I knew that I needed to actually lose 18.8 lbs to be where Dr Kozar wants me to be at for Surgery.

Well, I weighed myself tonight, and I weighed 223.8.  So if this is the case, then I will only need to lose another 13.8 lbs.  When I did my Pre-Op Diet for my Lap Band Surgery back in 2009, I was supposed to lose 11 lbs.  I was only on the Diet for 2 1/2 weeks then, and I lost 17 lbs.  Luckily (or unluckily) for me, I tend to retain water really bad....Once I begin the Diet, I can easily lose 5-10 lbs in water weight alone!!  So I am fairly sure that I should have no problem losing 14 lbs.

Now!!  Whether I have as easy a time as I did with the Diet for the Lap Band is still to be determined!  I didn't have any trouble with it the first time, and I was absolutely not hungry at all....So this will probably end up being the total opposite!  LOL  So, wish me luck that I don't suffer too much, and that I am able to lose the weight I need to.  Please???

Here is a copy of my 4 Week Pre-Op Diet, for which I will be following it from week 2:

Week 1:
Breakfast:  Protein Shake
Snack:  Fruit, etc.
Lunch:  300 cal or less meal replacement w 1-2 cups veggies
Snack:  same as above
Dinner:  same as lunch
Snack:  Protein Shake

Week 2:
Breakfast:  Protein Shake
Snack:  same as above
Lunch:  Protein Shake and 1-2 cups veggies
Snack:  saa
Dinner:  300 cal/less meal replacement w 1-2 cups veggies
Snack:  Protein Shake

Weeks 3-4:
Breakfast:  Protein Shake
Snack:  1/2 Protein Shake
Lunch:  Protein Shake and 1-2 cups veggies
Snack:  saa
Dinner:  same as Lunch
Snack:  saa


So....Diet Here I Come! LOL

Aloha My Friends :)

The Best Thanksgiving In Years!

We get some amazing cloud formations here because of the almost constant winds we get!!

Hey Ya'll,

Well, we are back from California, and we are really glad that we went.  We got to see almost my entire immediate family.  The only one missing was my niece Tiffany.  Tiffany and her significant other was on their way from Missouri, but didn't make it to my parents house until sometime last night.

My daughter Christa prepared most of the meal for us.  Walt wanted to help her out, but she was so organized, that by the time we made it to her house, most of the work had been done, as she started to prepare it days in advance.  So we took what was already finished plus the 2 Turkeys over to my parents house to help her out.  Then Christa and her family arrived with the rest of the meal about 2 hours later.  By then, Walt had one of the Turkeys Deep Fried and ready to carve, and the second Turkey cooking.

So the meal was excellent.  It couldn't have been better!

Walt and I arrived at my parents house at about 10 am, and my poor mom was trying her best to put my dads socks on him.  She could barely stand there, and she has no strength herself, so I finished putting his socks on for them.  I saw first hand how totally useless my dads arm and hand are now.  He can't even move them without using his left arm and hand.  And because it is in constant pain, he basically just places the arm and hand where it feels the least amount of pain, which is usually across his stomach or chest.

We were alone sitting together in the living room and my dad told me that he couldn't even begin to tell me where it hurt, because it hurts everywhere!  I asked him if he had taken his Morphine yet, and he said yes.  It just hadn't kicked in yet!  We feel that his Lung Cancer has spread to Bone Cancer now.  The reason I say this, is because of the amount of pain that he is in throughout his entire body, and....Mt uncle drove my dad to his Chemo Doctor appointment last week, and the Chemo Doctor asked my dad if the other Doctor had set him up on Hospice Care yet....Which means that my dads Cancer is spreading and definitely not getting better! 

Once my mom and I got him dressed, and in his chair in the living room, he never moved out of it again that day while we were there, and that was from 10 am to 6 pm!  He didn't even move out of the chair to go to the bathroom....And trying to get him to eat anything is difficult.  He says that he either can't eat, or just isn't hungry.  So he is barely eating anymore.  This too is a bad sign, because as we all know, when the body doesn't take in enough nutrients, the body starts to shut down.

So of course, we are very concerned about my dad.  He looked like he was at least 85-90 years old, and he is only 78.  And we do not expect him to be here for Christmas.  Which I will miss....My Surgery is the week before Christmas, so I won't be up to driving to California.  Not to mention the fact that I won't be able to eat yet.  So we will be staying here in Nevada and spend Christmas with my Mother In Law.  Christmas is still a difficult Holiday for her, as my Father In Law passed away right after Christmas in 2009.  So we like to spend Christmas with her when we can.

My brother is doing very well now with his new leg.  Now that they have a new one for him that actually fits, he is walking well.  If you didn't know he has a prosthetic leg, you wouldn't ever know it by watching him walk.  He said that he has one of those legs/foot thingies that allow the person to run.  So once he is in his permanent prosthesis, he will be able to use it to play men's softball again.  Which he hasn't been able to do for 6-7 years!!

So, we had a really nice day visiting each other.  I just wish that my parents weren't in such poor health.  My dad told me that once we all left their house, my mom had to go to bed, and hasn't been out of it yet.  She gets so over tired and in pain, that she ends up bedridden for at least 2-3 days after one of us visits them!

So I hope that ya'll had a great Thanksgiving too!  Till next time....

Aloha My Friends :)

Have A Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hey Ya'll,

Well, I am going to make this really short and sweet as I don't have time for anything else!!  I have been working all day getting ready to leave early in the morning.  We are going to stop in Reno on our way to California to look at some guns.  Walt always wants to see if they have "the one".  And we have a nice Sporting Goods store in Reno.

Then we will drive down to Sacramento.  And I will probably read my Kindle, as it keeps my eyes off the road, thus making it a much smoother ride.  And definitely a less stressful ride!  As Walt likes to speed, and I don't....so if I don't watch, then I can't complain.

We are going to meet up with Walt's daughter Kat, his sister Susan, possibly his brother Mike, and maybe my daughter Christa and her family as well, for dinner.  Then Walt and I will go to Christa's house Thursday morning to finish getting the Thanksgiving Dinner ready.  Or should I say, I will be watching them get the dinner ready!  I will sit and talk with them and the grand kids.  Oh, and did I tell you that Christa is making my all time favorite cake???  German Chocolate Cake from scratch!!  She knows that this will probably be the last time that I can enjoy it!  Since I will be having my Gastric Bypass Surgery in 3 1/2 weeks!!

 

But Walt and I will go to my parents house about 2 hours before we are ready to eat so he can deep fry the 2 Turkeys at their house.  So I will spend the time with my parents then.  I don't want to over tire them, as just getting a shower, dressing and trying to sit up in the Living Room is more than they need to do.  So I will have a couple of hours to talk with them before the rest of the family arrives.  Then Walt and I will go home on Friday morning.

So what I wanted to say is....I hope that everyone has a great Thanksgiving!  I probably won't be able to post again until sometime this weekend.  So, till next time...

Aloha My Friends :)

Walt Was Right!!

Hey Ya'll,

Well, Walt made me go to the Urgent Care place yesterday, since I wasn't able to get in to see our PCP.  The Doctor took one look in my Throat and said that I definitely have a Sinus Infection.  But on top of that, I also have Bronchitis!!  So I am on Antibiotics, and using an Inhaler.  At least this way, I will be over it before my Surgery date!!  Which is now only 4 weeks and 3 days away!!  Otherwise, 31 days and counting!!  EEKS! 

So far, Walt hasn't caught my Cold, but his Lungs are not the strongest, and he almost always catches a Cold if he is near anyone with one!  He keeps trying to get close to me, or kiss me, etc.  Well, I told him that if he catches my Cold, I WILL be sleeping on the Sofa!!  I do not want to be reinfected with the Cold so close to Surgery!

I will do what I did before my Spinal Surgery (Neck) in March.  I call it my cocoon period.  The last 2-3 weeks before a major Surgery, I try not to go out.  I don't want to risk getting sick!  So if he even has the sniffles, I will be sleeping on the sofa by myself again!!  I did it for 2 weeks in March, I can do it again!  LOL  But why does it always have to be in the Winter or early Spring when it is cold??   Oh well....Que Sera Sera!

So now I am hoping to be totally over the Bronchitis, or at least not contagious, for Thanksgiving next week.  As we are driving to California to visit our family.  My parents health is still deteriorating.  My Dad's Doctors keep telling him that the Chemotherapy is helping his Lung Cancer, but I don't believe it.  His pain is still as bad as ever, and he has lost all use of his right Arm and Hand.  He has to hold it with his left Arm and Hand in the position that is less painful, in order for him to be able to sit and talk with you. 

And he is now on Morphine for pain as well as the other pain meds.  I have never heard of Doctors giving Morphine for long term pain control, when the patient is not in the Hospital, unless it is to control end stage Cancer pain....So either the Doctor is trying to fool my Dad, who has always said that he would rather give up, than live with pain like this if it isn't helping him.  Or my Dad is trying to hide his true prognosis from us.  Either way, we feel that this will be the last Holiday Season we have with my parents.  So we don't want to miss being with them.

Well, I better go for now.  So till next time....

Aloha My Friends :)

Photos Below:
1) Back row, my Sister Sheryl, Mom, Niece Cara, Daughter Christa, Granddaughter Emily.  Front row, Niece Tiffany and Me!

2) My Daddy and Me.  I just wish that he would have told me that it hurt him so much to have me sit on him!!  But he insisted!

3) Standing, my Son In Law Mark, and Grandson Walker.  Sitting, my Uncle Emery, who is selflessly taking care of my parents when I can't be there for them....

Christmas Layout A Bit Early!!

Hey Ya'll,

I just wanted to make a really quick post saying hi, and that I know this is a bit early, but I just couldn't resist switching to a Christmas Layout!!  And I was afraid that if I waited until after Thanksgiving, I wouldn't have the time to do it!  So I found this really cute Layout and decided, what the He**!  I hope that you like it, it makes me smile.....

The photo above is of one of my Sister's In Law.  She was getting ready to ride in a local Parade.  She loves Horses, and rides all the time.  In fact, she is one of those special people that goes on Endurance Rides all the time.....like 100 miles rides!!  I couldn't do it, so I say....more power to you if you can (I wouldn't be able to stand up when I got off the Horse)!!  LOL  She also loves to run.  She runs special trails that wind up and around Lake Tahoe!!  Sometimes the runs are a minimum 50 miles.  And we are talking at elevations over a mile high!!  This woman is "Super Woman"!!  I couldn't do it, nor do I ever want to!!  Oh, and the reason that I have not mentioned her name, is out of respect for her privacy.  She gave me permission to use the photo, so long as I didn't mention her name.

Well, I have had a Cold now for going on 2 weeks.  It appeared to be getting better, then all of a sudden it took a turn for the worse again!!  I think that I am just starting a new Cold, but Walt thinks that it is going into Bronchitis!  So he made me call the Doctors Office this morning to try to get in to see her.  But we forgot that she isn't in on Fridays.  So I am still waiting to hear back from their Office to see if I am to see the other Doctor in the practice, or if maybe they will just call in a Prescription for Antibiotics (hopefully).

And now on top of me being sick, Walt started to get sick yesterday....This is not a good time to be sick!  We are supposed to drive to California next Wednesday to visit with our family for Thanksgiving....And since we are not expecting my parents to survive another year, we feel that this will be their last Holidays with the family, and we want to be there.

Anyway, I just wanted to say....I hope that you like the new layout of my blog, early though it is!!  I made the "Executive" decision to remove a lot of "stuff" from my blog, as it was just taking up too much space.  So I removed all of the "Buttons" (cute as they may be) from other Blogs that I follow, and I also removed all of the "Awards" that I have been given through the years.  And last but not lease, I removed all of the Blogs from my Following/Reading list that haven't posted in a YEAR or MORE!!  Which were quite a few!  I figured that if you haven't posted in a year or more, then you probably aren't going to post anymore!....

So....Till next time....Send good thoughts my way that we get over this....whatever it is, fast!!

Aloha My Friends :)

A Big Welcome To....Dani !!

Hey Ya'll,

I checked in this morning, and found that I had a new Follower!!!  Her name is Dani, and Dani was Banded on 5/31/11.  Dani is one of our sisters from the land down under!!  So if you haven't found her blog yet, check it out and give Dani all the support we all can use!  Just follow this link to Dani's blog: A New Era, and say hi.  So Dani, I want to...."Welcome you to my Nightmare"!

Aloha My New Friend! :) 

Bypass & Sleeve Patients -HELP !!

Hey Ya'll,

As I inch ever so much closer to my Bypass Surgery, I am beginning to freak out about the Vitamins I need to take after Surgery!!  When I attended the last Class at my Surgeon's Office, they gave us some samples of the Vitamins that they promote and sell.  They are pictured above and called Bariatric Advantage. 

Well....they tasted nasty!!  I couldn't even chew them up and swallow them completely, I had to spit them out!!  So I asked my Cousin Lisa, what Vitamins that she takes, and she takes the Vitamins from her Surgeon's Office (Celebrate)(below). 

Lisa also tells me that hers aren't much better!

 

So I was hoping that some of my Blogging buddies that have had the Bypass or Sleeve Surgery could help me out by suggesting a better tasting alternative to what I have access to.  Yes, I said better tasting.  After the Surgery, I won't be able to swallow extra large pills as most Multiple Vitamins are, so I will need to chew them up!

Do you purchase yours through your Surgeon's Office?  Or do you purchase them online or through a store like GNC???  Please Help Me!!  Have you found any that actually taste good?  Are there any good Multivitamins, Calcium, Iron, etc that are in Gummy form that are the equivalent to what is sold in the Dr's Office's???  I can buy Gummy Multi Vitamins at Costco, but they aren't even close to being equal, to the horrible chewable's from the Dr's Office.  I would have to take 2-3 of them to be equivalent!

Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated!  And the sooner the better!!  LOL  As my Surgery is only 5 WEEKS AWAY!!  Hoping for some good suggestions (and I am afraid that it is in vain)....till next time.

Aloha My Friends :)

New Hampshire, Vacation Part 2 !!

With My Best Friend Kelly And Her Son David At An Apple Orchard, Picking Apples!

Hey Ya'll,

Well, as I said in my last post.  I made it to New Hampshire by 5:15 am.  I was exhausted for sure...but I was sure happy to be there!  And of course, since I had been up for so long, and was going on pure adrenalin by then just to keep going.  I wasn't yet ready to sleep!  So after I ate my breakfast, I unpacked my luggage (after taking photos of my room of course!), then attempted to call home to let everyone know that I was there and safe.

However, I realized that I didn't have phone service there, so I had to rely on emails.  So I emailed Walt, and asked him to call my parents to let them know I was there and ok.  Then I emailed everyone else.  But...I still wasn't ready to go to bed, so I watched some TV for a bit, then took my meds (including my sleeping pill), and went to bed after placing the Do Not Disturb sign on the door!!  Kelly knew that I was arriving early in the morning, so she waited until after she got home from work to contact me, thus letting me get some rest.

Late that afternoon, I get a call from the Front Desk saying that I had a package, so I opened my door and started to walk to the Front Desk, when I realized that Kelly was standing there with a big bunch of Balloons, a beautiful Bouquet of Carnations (which happens to be my favorite Flowers), some Mints, a Card, and a huge smile!!  Even though we hadn't seen each other for years, it was like it was only yesterday.  She is truly a Best Friend!

Most people have a lot of friends, but I don't.  I have friends, but only 2 Best Friends.  Kelly is one of them, and Nadene is the other.  Nadene, if you are reading this, I really hope that we get to see you in February!!

Anyway, since I had had a long day before getting some sleep (about 24 hrs up by the time I actually went to bed), Kelly decided to just have a private dinner with me that night.  So we went to Olive Garden, since she loves it too, and no one there wants to go there with her!  Then we came back to my room and talked for a couple more hours, until she needed to get home, as she had to work the next day.

So....since I wouldn't see Kelly until about 3 pm, I decided to eat my left overs from dinner for lunch.  Great idea, right?  WRONG!!  My room had a refrigerator and microwave, so I thought, no problem, I will reheat my dinner.  Well....that was a huge mistake!  I ended up dropping the container with my extra Spaghetti Sauce all over the Carpet in front of the Microwave!!  I felt so bad.  Luckily I had bought a roll of paper towels for my room the night before, so I mopped up as much of the Sauce as I could, straightened up the room, then called the Front Desk telling them of my accident.  I then left the room so they could come in and clean the carpet for about an hour.

I felt so bad making Housekeeping go above and beyond the normal cleaning, that I went to the Front Desk and asked for an envelope.  I then put a $10 bill in it, sealed it up, and gave it to the Housekeeper.  She was really sweet about it, and thanked me profusely for the extra tip.  However, that was the last time I let my room be officially cleaned while I was there (9 nights).  Because I really don't make a mess, I straightened my own bed, especially since I had to sleep on a row of Pillows, that way I could keep them on the bed, and not have them taken off, and have to figure out which pillows worked the best in what position!!  So I just requested an exchange of Towels periodically, and to have my trash taken, and replaced with new trash bags.

While I was there, Kelly and her son David came over several times to go swimming in the Indoor Pool and Jacuzzi.  Well....David swam, while Kelly and I relaxed in the Jacuzzi!  LOL  We also went to a Flea Market, a Highway Stand that specializes in making homemade Maple Donuts, and an Apple Orchard.  All on different days of course!  And Kelly came over several times to my room alone and we just had a great time talking....and no, we never ran out of things to say!!  LOL

I did eat dinner at their house a couple of times (Kelly is a great cook), but I wanted to take out Kelly's husband Rick at least once as well, since he was being such an angel and letting Kelly spend as much time as she could with me.  So one day, Rick and David were out checking the Flea Market and Yard Sales in their area, so I figured that that would be a good day to take them to dinner.  So we went to Chili's as both Rick and David likes it there.  And it was a good thing...as the next morning, both Rick and David (not to mention Kelly's daughter and son that live on their own) came down with a horrible Cold!!

So I basically stayed away from Kelly's house after that, as I was trying to stay Cold free, as I didn't want to be sick while trying to fly home.  So after that, Kelly just came to my Hotel and visited the last couple of days.  In fact, the last day there, Kelly had to work, and then they were going to celebrate Kelly's older son's birthday.  So I used the excuse that I still needed to pack before leaving for Salem, MA the next day, and I didn't want to intrude on their family birthday party.

Well....one thing that I haven't mentioned as yet.  But I was barely able to sleep the whole time I was in New Hampshire!  I mean, I was usually up until 6 am almost every night, then if I was lucky, I would get an hour to 3 hours sleep, which was the main reason why I didn't want Housekeeping to disturb me.  I was taking sleeping pills, but they just weren't working....during the whole time I was gone, which was 11 nights (or was it 12?), I only got about 20 hours of sleep total!!

So, even though I told Kelly that I was staying in my room so that I could pack that night and go to bed early....NOT!  I ended up staying up most of the night again!  Luckily for me, my check out time was 11 am, so I got dressed, went out and filled my plate of breakfast at 6 am (again!), then went to bed for a few hours, got up, showered and dressed, checked out at 11 am, and drove over to Kelly's to pick her up!  As she was going with me to Salem!!

So now that I have talked your ears off yet again....till next time when I give my Vacation Part 3 about Salem and my trip home!!  Oh, and I have included a couple more photos below, and you can click on the photo to enlarge it as well.

Aloha My Friends :)

This was my Hotel room.  Very nicely appointed.  Everything that I needed.  And you can see the Balloons that Kelly brought me attached to the Desk.

My Flowers....Kelly tried to get as many Carnations as she could, but also included a few other types.  They stayed open and smelling great the whole time I was there, so I took them to Kelly's house when I left, so she could also enjoy them at her house as well!!  That's part of the reason that I love Carnations, they smell great, but not overmuch, and they last a long time!

This is a photo that I took in Keene, NH.  I just had to take this, how often do you see an Apothecary Store?  Nowadays, you see a Pharmacy!

And me being born and raised on the West Coast, we never see towns with an old fashioned Town Square with a Gazebo!!

Just another view of the quaint Gazebo.

And you just don't see many Main Streets like this anymore.  I love it!!  But because it was such a Main Street, once parked, it could be hard to back out of the space, trust me!!

Now....how many of you remember the Movie Jumanji, with Robin Williams??  Well, they filmed part of it in Keene, NH.  Here is a mural they painted for the Movie that the Town has left in place!!  Locals to the Town, must have thought that I was crazy, or at least knew that I was a "Tourist", taking photos of an old Mural!  LOL

My Cousin...My Inspiration!!

This is my Cousin Lisa!  Lisa underwent Gastric Bypass Surgery on Halloween 2011.  Lisa is 5'6" and started out weighing 321 lbs. 

Another photo of Lisa.

And this is Lisa now....weighing 130 lbs less, in just under a year after Surgery!!  Lisa, I only hope that I do as well as you did!!














Hey Ya'll,

So as you can see from the photos above, I have a Cousin that has had the Gastric Bypass, and has done very well with it.  But she isn't the only one in the family to have had the Bypass.  Lisa's Mom Nancy, also had it done in 1985!  Nancy reached her goal weight, and was an inspiration to us both to do well!

Lisa, I wish that we lived closer to each other!!!  I could really use someone to help me through the upcoming Surgery, and the most difficult period....the first few weeks and months.  Walt will be here for me of course, but talking with someone that I know that has gone through it, is different!  And I know that you will be here for any and all questions online, but it would definitely be easier if you were right here! LOL

And now for those of you that want to continue to read on, I will tell you Part One of my New England Vacation story to see my Friend Kelly.  And I need to warn you, it is pretty long....But with me what else is new??  LOL  So, the day of my departure started out sooo well!!  LOL  If only it lasted all day!  My flight was supposed to depart at 12:30 pm PST, and arrive in Boston at 10:45 pm EST.  But when I arrived at the Airport to check in, I found out that my flight was going to be delayed for 2 hours!  Which meant that I would miss my connecting flight in Chicago!!

The reason for the delay, was because the plane from Chicago was having a Mechanical problem, and had to be repaired.  And to top it off, once the plane did arrive (3 hours late!), they had to do a super fast turn around, as the flight crew was making a turn around flight, and they only had so long before they had to be back up in the air to avoid a mandatory overnight stay!  So we were boarded very quickly!

Then of course, we were then 3 hours late to Chicago.  Luckily, I thought to pick up a Cheeseburger from McDonald's in the Terminal in Chicago....I'll explain why later.  So all of us from the original flight, were obviously placed on different flights to our final destinations.  Which put me in Boston at about 1:30 am....instead of 10:45 pm.

And we were the last flight to land and park at the Terminal we were directed to.  I only know this because....the Terminal was empty!  Of course I didn't know this yet, because I had to wait for my Walker to be brought up from the Cargo area of the plane (and let me tell you, I waited so long that all of the passengers were off, and the flight crew was leaving).  Luckily for me, the flight attendant that was in charge of the First Class (of which I was in, thanks to Walt), wouldn't leave me until my Walker was brought up so that I wasn't alone there!

Once my Walker was brought up, he helped me to open it up and put my "stuff" on it, then he walked with me up into the Terminal.  But since I had needed to use the restroom before the plane landed, not to mention the extra long wait for my Walker, I couldn't go any further without using the restroom inside of the Terminal!!  When I walked out of it on my way to pick up my Luggage, I realized that the Terminal was empty!!  Empty except for the Security Guard that asked me if I was the last person in the restroom so he could clear the Terminal.

So I walked as fast as I could which isn't very fast...to the luggage carousel, and they were already getting ready to take my luggage to be locked up in the uncollected luggage place.  I quickly said....wait!!  That one is mine!!  So after proving it was mine, he gave it to me.  So here I am, pushing a Walker with the seat loaded down with my Tablet, Kindle DX, GPS, Camera, Pee Che with all my paperwork in it, my Purse, etc, etc, etc. and trying to pull the large piece of Luggage!

So a Porter came running up, and started to put my luggage on his cart.  I tried to tell him that I could do it.  I didn't want to have to dig out a tip, not that I was too cheap, I just didn't want to have to dig into my purse, I just wanted to get to my rental car and drive to my final destination that night, and I was really tired!!  He refused to take no for an answer though, so I told him which Car Rental company I was going to, and he took me to the place to wait for the Shuttle to arrive.

Now remember, I had been up since about 7 am (PST) and it was now 2 am (EST) (16 hours).  I was very tired, but I didn't let that make me a Jerk!  The Car Rental Shuttle arrived and picked me up.  The guy was really sweet and refused to let me pick up anything to place in the Shuttle.  He even put my Walker in for me.  At the next stop for pickups, this couple was there as well as a group of girls, and the first thing the husband said was...."Do you know how long we have been waiting??".  And of course he was practically screaming, and screaming it over and over!  The Shuttle driver tried to explain to him that the last customer that he had picked up and taken to the rental place, had Bone Cancer, and was in extreme pain, so he tried to drive slowly and carefully, trying to make the ride smoother.  But the JERK wouldn't hear it!!

Once we arrived at the Rental place, I let the Jerk and his wife, and the group of girls get off first.  The driver didn't even try to help them to exit.  And I am glad, as they didn't deserve it.  But once they were off, he got out of his seat and quietly placed my stuff out onto the sidewalk.  I told him that he shouldn't let that Jerk ruin his night!  Then I gave him a good tip.

So, by the time I waited for my turn to finish the Rental checkout and get on the road, it was 3 am!!  And I didn't see a single place to pick up a soda or burger anywhere.  Luckily....I had the burger from McDonald's (remember it?).  And I had also got a soda from McDonald's at Chicago, and I had asked the flight attendant to fill it up with a fresh diet coke with ice for me before we landed in Boston.  So I had my drink, and an ice cold, practically dried out burger.  But it was better than nothing!

Now remember this, I have never driven on the East Coast.  Luckily Walt bought me a GPS to take with me.  But even with it, I was afraid that I wouldn't get out of Boston before the town came alive and I wasn't the only one on the streets!

Oh, I forgot to mention that they had had a major Thunderstorm that night, and it was still raining while I was trying to get out of Boston, so I couldn't see all of the street markings very well.  And the GPS gave me probably the worst way out of town.  Oh, and did I forget to say that not only was it 3 am when I drove off the rental lot, but I also had to drive to Keene, NH??  So I was trying to follow the GPS, I didn't have it set right, and I could barely hear the directions.  So I was trying to find someplace to pull over, so that I could increase the GPS sound.  Which was easy, if you knew how to use it!!  But I didn't, so I had to stop in order to figure it out! 

But I couldn't find anyplace to pull over "legally"....The route it gave me, had me driving through town, and all of the streets said "No Parking"....Finally, when I was on a street that had some homes on it.  I found a sign that said "no parking, unless a resident, or you had handicapped plates".  Well, I have a handicap placard.  So I pulled over, plopped my placard on the rear view mirror, and fixed my GPS.  So, once I could actually hear it, I was able to drive better, since I didn't have to look at it all the time to make sure that I didn't miss a turn.

I was just praying that I would actually get out of Boston before the people started to drive into town to work!  Which I did!  But I still had the drive into New Hampshire.  And I couldn't believe the roads there.  I am from the West Coast, where a Freeway or Highway is usually a 3-4 lane major road at least.  But these Highways were mostly 2 lanes, and periodically I came to a roundabout, or stop light, or stop sign!!  Oh, (and I promise that this will be the last "oh" in this post), did I mention that the speed limit kept changing from 35-55 mph?  So I finally I made it to Keene, and the sun was starting to come up, it was 5:15 am....

So I checked into the Hotel, and was told that I was lucky, they had had a 6 hr power outage because of the storm that went through that night!!  But the power was back on!  And they had just put out the Breakfast fare (which was included), and generally was supposed to start at 6 am.  But they knew that I was delayed the 3 hours, putting me there so late, as I had called to advise them of my delay that morning as soon as I knew I would be arriving so late.  So they said...Hey!  The Breakfast is already out, go ahead and eat!  So I took my stuff to my room, went back and filled myself a plate of fresh hot food, and took it back to my room to eat!!

So, now that I have bored probably bored you to tears with my vacation woes...till next time....

Aloha My Friends :)